Power steering systems are generally designed to reduce the steering effort on motor vehicles by using an external power source to assist in turning the wheels of a motor vehicle. There are two major types of power steering systems, namely, hydraulic power steering systems and electro hydraulic power steering systems. In the first major type of system, a hydraulic system is used to turn the wheels of the motor vehicle, and the hydraulic pressure is generally provided by a rotary vane pump driven by the engine of the motor vehicle. In the second major type of system, a hydraulic system is again used to turn the wheels of the motor vehicle, but the hydraulic pressure is generally provided by a pump (e.g., rotary vane pump) driven by an electric motor (i.e., instead of by the engine). Hydraulic power steering systems and electro hydraulic power steering systems may tend to exhibit different behavior at different engine speeds since the hydraulic oil pump delivery to the hydraulic system depends on engine RPM. Furthermore, these existing hydraulic power steering systems tend to consume about 5-10% of the power produced by the engine.
While hydraulic power steering systems and electro hydraulic power steering systems are commercially acceptable, such systems may have additional drawbacks. For example, such systems may be relatively bulky and may comprise a complex design. This may undesirably increase cost due to the design complexity. It may be desirable to utilize a magnetic assisted power steering system that may reduce the cost, decrease bulk, and improve reliability of power steering over the present power steering systems that are commercially available. For example, a magnetic assisted power steering system in accordance with the present invention may allow for elimination of a hydraulic pump, belt pulley, and/or electric motor arrangement present in other power steering systems that can cause losses for a diesel or petrol driven vehicle. A magnetic assisted power steering system may also be advantageous because it may not consume power developed by the engine. In addition, its efficiency may be relatively constant even under all engine conditions (e.g., idle and/or full acceleration). This results in improved engine efficiency and reduced fuel consumption. A magnetic assisted power steering system in accordance with the present invention may be suitable for hybrid and fuel cell vehicles and/or may be fitted onto a regular series of automobile products. A magnetic assisted power steering system in accordance with the present invention may also allow modification to and from power steering modes and mechanical steering modes. A magnetic assisted power steering system in accordance with the present invention may also comprise a fail-safe steering assisting mechanism because in the case of any failure of the magnetic levitation, the steering system may still be in working condition based on the existing mechanical system.